limb by limb
by NickyFox13
Summary: Kageyama is a growing boy, and desperate to find a way to make the pains of growing stop. KageHina
1. Chapter 1

Kageyama Tobio grows faster than a weed; his body just can't keep up. It seems like a pity that the inconvenience of growing has to hurt so much, because it gets in the way. His gift is in volleyball, not in dealing with much else. The aches and pains he faces on a near-daily basis are a nuisance, but he thanks whoever is watching over him that he's a gifted athlete for the pain he'd face would be much worse if he wasn't so active.

His knees and his hips hurt especially, despite his continuous stretching. However, he keeps this to himself. If Tobio admits it to anyone, especially Sugawara who cares so much that Kageyama'd be smothered by affection, then he'd be a goner: these limbs of his are too important for volleyball. Tobio remains thankful that his hands and wrists and elbows don't hurt in the same way as his hips and knees, because without his arms, he might as well be dead.

Fortunately, Kageyama's limbs are proportionate to the rest of his body. His lankiness was rounded out by a thin coating of muscle, and he supposes that makes him physically appealing.

 _Too bad that I'm still in pain, though…_ Kageyama winces, because he knows attractiveness will benefit him somehow. He swallows his pride and tries to think of the tallest people he knows: Tsukishima, whose stance brings him at a staggering six foot two, and Asahi, who stands at a modest six feet and half an inch.

After practice, Kageyama follows Tsukishima; the blond, who's oblivious to the world because of his headphones, doesn't notice Kageyama intense glaring. Tsukishima turns around and jumps out of his skin, only to regain his cool composure as if he wasn't ever startled.

"What?" Tsukishima asks. Kageyama gulps, nervous.

"You're tall," Kageyama states in a stutter, his face utterly deadpan. Tsukishima tilts his head to the left ever so slightly.

"Really? Who would've thought!" Tsukishima said, and Kageyama's face darkens with the realization that Tsukishima is being sarcastic.

"Surely not me," Kageyama retorts darkly, "so I know you can help me with these growing pains." Tsukishima looks Kageyama up and down with a look of disdain. A blanket of silence smothers them both as they enter a stalemate of a staring contest, their eyes intensely unblinking.

"I feel bad for guys like you," Tsukishima manages to say.

"Why's that?" Kageyama asks, and he almost certainly regrets in once the words tumble out of his mouth.

"Because you're _almost_ six feet tall but you failed to make the mark, and all I can say to that is 'oops, too bad! You'll never get to the glorious promised land of the exclusive over-six-foot club'." Despite the stupidity of this insult, Tsukishima pivots on his heel to strut away, as if he'd accomplished something immensely important.

Kageyama stands in the locker room alone, blushing a deep red from humiliation, embarrassed to think that Tsukishima of all people would extend any sort of kindness.


	2. Chapter 2

Even after practice ended, Kageyama wanders around the gym aimlessly, feeling desperate and creepy for trying so hard to find Asahi. Finally, as if on cue, Asahi stumbles out of the locker room, looking dazed.

"Asahi!" Kageyama screams a little too loud, and Asahi's reaction is too calm for someone as jumpy as him.

"Oh, it's you, Kageyama," Asahi enunciates, and Kageyama's taken aback by his tranquility, which throws Kageyama off guard enough to forget his question for a brief, terrifying moment.

"What can I help you with?" Asahi says with a grin, and Kageyama relaxes. He tries to think of a way to phrase this question of addressing growing pains without sound like a moron as he did with Tsukishima.

"I'm suffering through growing pains, and since you're pretty close to my height I was hoping you'd have some advice," Kageyama says too quickly, his heart racing. Asahi seems to understand the request, though, and he seems to glow with the pride of being treated like a true senpai. Giving out advice was probably his specialty, after hanging out around the kind duo of Daichi and Sugawara.

"I hope you're stretching enough, and getting enough calcium in your diet," Asahi says brightly, and Kageyama makes a mental note of this. "Plus, I find alternating between heat and cold pretty helpful…" Before Asahi can elaborate, Tanaka and Noya call for him wildly from the other side of the gym, to which Asahi blushes and apologizes for the interruption. He leaves Kageyama alone with his thoughts in this huge gym.

Kageyama is stunned out of his thoughts when he hears a familiar voice questioning:

"Are you okay, Kageyama?" Hinata asks in that comforting high pitched voice of his, as if Kageyama and whatever bothered him actually mattered. The aches and pains of growing hurt him so much that a part of him wished he could open his mouth and _say_ it. But, as always, pride got in the way. It was likely for the better: Hinata couldn't see Kageyama in a moment of weakness, because what if he wasn't taken seriously? Kageyama shuddered at the thought of Hinata seeing him as weak or worse, as someone who succumbed to

something as natural as growing. Besides, Kageyama already told two other people about his unfortunate pains, and that was enough of an embarrassment. Both of his parents loom over people with their imposing height, as both sides of his family. Growing shouldn't come as a shock.

"I'm okay," Kageyama finally spits out, as he begins to gather his belongings.

"Well, if you need anything..." Hinata chirps. Kageyama swore there was something like bashfulness in his voice: it was endearing in a way only Hinata could muster.

"I'll find you if I do," Kageyama said, swallowing his pride long enough to realize that hinata's offer was genuine, born of the sincere desire to help. It was strange, acknowledging that he could need other people, especially someone as annoying, needy and strange as Hinata.


	3. Chapter 3

The pains plagues him again the next few afternoons between classes. Kageyama wonders who exactly he pissed off to be in this much pain. He tried changing his diet, resting more to varying his stretching routine before volleyball practice. He tried everything short of voodoo and miracles.

He sees Hinata's bright smile from across the hallway, remembering his offer. Another shock of pain attacks him, stripping him of his pride for long enough to approach Hinata as he had finished his conversation.

"Hey Kageyama!" Hinata states, hesitantly cheery. Words fail Kageyama because Hinata usually approaches Kageyama, not the other way around.

"Are you ok?" Hinata asks; Kageyama nods vigorously, gesticulating wildly.

"Oh! Are we playing charades? This'll be fun! How many words?"

"No, dumbass! I'm here to take you up on your offer." Hinata wracked his brain, then he had a eureka moment.

"Yeah right! When you were acting a different kind of strange a couple of days ago. You're not dying right?"

"Why would I go to you if I were dying?"

"...Because Sugawara isn't around?"

"Shut up," Hinata did so. Kageyama cleared his throat, "that's not why I'm here to talk with you." This would be the hardest statement he ever have to push out of his mouth, "I need some of your...attention." Kageyama blushed. His heart raced faster for every second of silence.

"What could you possibly ask me?" Hinata exclaimed. Kageyama's embarrassment levels rose to insurmountable levels.

"I'm growing..."

"I've noticed! Are you past six feet yet? I wish I could trade heights with you! I've been the same height since I was eleven," Hinata rambled.

"Just about," Kageyama gloated briefly. The jealous awe in Hinata's voice made the embarrassment worth it.

"What do you need from me? Clearly I'm not the right person to ask about growing..." Hinata says with a laugh that might've come off as forced or spiteful had he been anyone else. His exaggerated motions of contorting his body to reach Kageyama's eyes brought a grudging smile.

"A shoulder massage would be nice," Kageyama explains, his body tensing. The look of positive glee Hinata gives Kageyama is infectious. Kageyama can't help but smile as Hinata's hand enfolds his own; the cadence of Hinata's voice as he babbles in that annoyingly adorable way sounds calming, not irritating. They even walk in sync. Before he knows it, he's in the gym, sitting on the bleachers in front of Hinata. These hands on his shoulders are soothing. They travel down his back in a way that makes Kageyama moan inappropriately.

"You're having a good time, aren't you?" Hinata asks huskily. Brown eyes meet blue.

"...Yes. Thanks," Kageyama admits. Hinata stretches into a kiss, a simple action without fanfare. Kageyama's heart races with joy. Hinata climbs closer to Kageyama, hands roaming as their kisses grow more fervent, more passionate. The pain goes away.


End file.
